The team at NAGA really go to great lengths to take care of the competitors as well as the coaches. When I first took my Team to NAGA I was extremely impressed with the level of professionalism in which the tournament was run. Kip, Kirik & Joe, really try to be as fair as possible with any concerns that you may have. The most important part....My students go home happy.

NAGA and Reality Fighting run one of, if not THE best MMA and grappling events around. Professionally run, and with much respect given to every competitor, coach and individual. My students and I regularly participate in tournaments and MMA shows and will continue to do so for years to come.

Kru John Roderick - Head Instructor/Owner Southern New England MMA

NAGA has been a leader of the grappling revolution for many years and has pushed the sport forward by providing a fun and fair environment for athletes and schools to engage in competition to increase their skills and to foster positive and social family-oriented behavior. In addition, much of the current boom in MMA awareness can be directly traced to the dedicated work of Kipp Kollar and NAGA in building a grassroots fan base and a pool of MMA-ready grapplers. As NAGA goes, so goes the sport of grappling.

Todd Hester, Publisher, Gladiator Magazine

I attended NAGA New England yesterday and wanted to tellyou what a fantastic experience I had. Don't know if you remember me butyou helped me out with a t-shirt selection at the booth. This was my firstgrappling tournament and even though I didn\'t win, I came out of theexperience 100% more enriched. I was nervous as hell going in, but wastotally taken back at how friendly your staff was, how professional thereferees were, and the overall comradery that was expressed by thecompetitors. I can\'t wait to attend my next NAGA event. KUDOS to you andyour employees!

Brian Lopez

We signed up our 10 year old son for his first tournament on Valentines day. My husband and I were both happy at how extremely organized the event was. I personally liked how health consious the cooridinators were. we liked the philosophy that you teach and display the competitors.We felt our son was well prepared for his match thanks to his instructor Mike Golden from Plus one defense in connecticut. He did win but the experience and confidence he gained was more for us than his awards. Great Job to you and your organization!!!

Parents of a 10 year old

Just a quick note to say, wonderful event in Rhode Island. The casino was great and the professionalism by you and your staff was first rate. Our school (Aiki Academy) enjoys participating in your events.

Dennis Hill

I wanted to thank the entire staff at NAGA VA, it was my first time in a tourney and it was an awesome experience. I wanted to write and thank you for the opportunity to compete for your organization and I hope to compete for you again in the future.

Allen Norris

Kipp,

I just wanted to send a big thank you from the Arnold Classic. My son Braeden Shimkus has been with Team Torres for 3 years now, fighting NAGA since then as well.

Sunday you approached us, we were thrilled that you had realized Braeden has been training and fighting hard. Acknowledging that you realize that he is always fighting kids 2, 3, and 4 years older than him meant a lot to him. From his 1st fights we have always made sure that if he won we moved him up a skill level. Sometimes we felt that was harder on him than anything, but we raise our son to be honest and follow the rules. Thanks so much for recognizing that.

We will definitely see you in Chicago in May. Hopefully if we can pull things together we'll also see you in Florida for the NAGA U.S. Open.

Sincerely,

Heather and Justin Shimkus

Heather & Justin Shimkus

I have two boys Peyton 8 and Corban 7 and they have competed at the Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus this year and last year and both times it was a very positive experience for them. Thank you so much for making it possible for them to compete in a sport they love so much in a professional and fun environment. Keep up the good work! We will see you again next year in Columbus! Thanks, Jenn Mills

Jenn Mills

From the moment I signed my son up for his first fight I wan very impressed by the great customer service. Everyone was so friendly and helpful with everything. My sons safety during the fight was #1 and that is what I liked so much cause in this sport its easy to get hurt. My son won first place. Since this fight my son has entered another fight not with NAGA and there is no comparison the customer service was not helpful at all and during the whole event it was not organized and my sons saftey was a MAJOR issue. I will never register my son for another fight unless it is with NAGA it is the best. Mom of Joey Hamilton

Laura Hamilton

My name is Craig Hannigan and about five years ago out of the blue I started to have terrible pain in all of my bones and joints. It got to a point that I could not even tie my own shoes or walk down a city block. Every morning I would dread the thought of even getting out of bed. At first the doctors had no idea what was wrong with me. They thought it could be malaria or lupus. After several doctor visits and extensive testing it turned out that I have rheumatoid arthritis (RA) an auto immune disorder that attacks my joins and puts me in extreme pain. I was on Prednisone for two years and starting taking prescription level anti-inflammatory and weekly injections. Eventually we got it under control and I am no longer in pain, but from being in pain and on the medications and unable to exercise for so long I ended up gaining about 45 pounds and blew up to around 240 pounds. Because I am not the type of person that can mindlessly run on a treadmill for hours I decided to join Jerry Jones Ultimate Martial Arts in Nutley New Jersey and started learning Freestyle Jiu-Jitsu and grappling. I immediately started loosing weight and started to fall in love with the sport. Mr. Jones encouraged me to compete in Naga Worlds in 08' but I had to lose weight to get to the 224.9 mark for Heavyweight. The Naga competition really gave me something to work towards and motivated me to exercise and burn off the fat. I ended up taking fourth over all in that division. Since then I have competed in every New Jersey Naga and they always motivate me to get in better shape and lose more weight. After the 08 Worlds I won Battle at the Beach Masters Beginner and then I lost even more weight and won Masters Intermediate 199 in November. Naga has really helped keep me motivated and excited to train. Due to Kipp's policy on anti sandbagging I have always pushed myself to train harder for the more difficult divisions and this past weekend I had my greatest Naga success because I just won Masters Expert Division at 189 and now I am actually in better shape then I was before I got sick.

Thank you Naga for giving me something positive that have motivated me in such a great way. Winning the expert division was really a huge highlight in my life.

Sincerely,

Craig Hannigan

Craig Hannigan

I am indebted to NAGA for its motivational tournaments that help me to stay healthy and enjoy life. As a former cardiac rehab patient in the Executive Division, I have the unique opportunity to compete as I never did in high school or college. In fact, I feared wrestling in high school and today I am more confident to get on the NAGA mat and compete as a senior citizen athlete with the support of my college team Western Connecticut State University Wrestling/Grappling Team. I have participated in seven NAGA tournaments during the past two years and earned 6 silver medals and one bronze medal. My mindset is on gold now and belt and with the help of my head trainer/coach Kyle Quine, I will be able to achieve my lifelong goal in my golden years!

I wanted to say what a class act you guys are. Somehow you have managed to put on a huge tournament while allowing it to maintain a small tournament feel in terms of comfort. My hat's off to you.

Respectfully,

William D. Kennedy, Psy.D.Clinical and sports psychologist

William Kennedy, Psy.D.

DEAR KIPP:HELLO, I WRITE THIS MASAGE FOR YOU TO THANK YOU FOR MAKE A GREAT TOURNAMENT ON ORLANDO FOR ME AND MY LITTLE SISTER, THANK FOR SEPARATE THE KIDS BY AGE ON MY RING THAT WAS FAIR FOR EVERY BODY, I DON'T GET FIRST PLACE BUT WAS FAIR AND THIS MAKE ME STRONGER, AND YOUR SUPPORT MAKE FEEL LIKE A CHAMPION AND A WILL COME BACK NEXT TIME MORE POWERFULLI HAVE ONLY 18 MONTH OF TRAINING A THANK TO YOUR TOUNAMENTS I FAIGHTING ADVANCE DIVISION MAKING MY FAMILY, COUCH AND FRIENDS PROUD OF ME.THANK YOU FOR FOR SUPPOR THIS SPORT TO LITTLE ONES LIKE MY LITTLE SISTER KAREN, SHE WAS TO HAPPY, SHE TURN ON FOUR YEARS LAST WEEK AND SHE SAID THAT SHE IS BIG NOW TO FIGHT NAGA, SHE FIGHT ON THIS TOURNAMENT FOR FIRST TIME AND WAS A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR HER TO FALLOW MY STEP.THANK YOU AGAING FOR SUPPORT US.

KEVIN ESTEVEZADVANCE DIVICION FIGHTER

Kevin Estevez

We feel honored to be part of the family NAGA; Kipp Kollar is a exellent promoter and a real MARTIAL ARTIST. Every year that we go to NAGA World Championship is a very big experience. We cannot forget what a wounderful staff Mr. Kipp Kollar has, especially Mr. Joe Cuff. ENERGY BLESS YOU ALL PEOPLE.

Prof. Steven Rodriguez

I just wanted to let you know that the NAGA tournament held in Dallas this past weekend was one of the best events of its kind that I have ever attended. We were there until the very dark end (one of the participants in the final fight was from my son's dojo, so we were shining cell phones and my key ring light on the mat). I was amazed at how smoothly the tournament was run, how quickly bouts were started with very little if any lag time between matches, and very friendly and helpful event workers. I'd also like to compliment the referees - those folks were amazing. Even after a very long day, they were focused on each match at the end of the evening.

Thanks again for putting on such a wonderful (and HUGE) tournament. We'll be heading for Dallas again in August.

Linda Wilson

My Name is John Moran and my son, John, competed and won two gold medals in The Tournament of Champions. I am writing you to compliment and thank you for running such a professional tournament.

My son was 7 at the Champions. He weighed in at 104 which I assure you consisted of minimal fat. Unfortunately you advised his sensei, Shark Bussade, that there was nobody under 11 for him to fight in the 114 pound division. We asked to see the kids because John has fought 11 and 12 year olds in our school and depending on the kid we might let him go. I was extremely impressed when your organization refused. You went to the 99 pound class and obtained permission for John to fight on the basis that he was only 5 pounds over and 7 years old. You ran the best tournament that I have ever seen in any sport. I played Division 1 college basketball and rugby all over the world. I also fought 36 fights but none in a venue like yours. You were spectacular and extremely professional. Thank you for making my little boy’s first competition so rewarding and memorable.

John Moran

This is the Second Tournament of NAGA that my students have attended. Last years Dec. 6th tourney and this years May 9th both held in Texas. Without a doubt the biggest Tournament that we attend throughout the year and probably the BEST !! Efficient, well staffed, professional, FUN, clean, and the list goes on.... You guys deserve all the respect and congratulations for putting on a great Tournament. We will always be greatful for the chance to come and compete and we will continue to support your efforts as often as you come near the great state of Oklahoma !!

Les Harrison / H-Clan Jujitsu

Mr. Kollar,

I just want to send a quick note to thank you for a very well run Tournament. This was my first NAGA experience and I was very impressed. I am a student of Clint Crabtree, GRBJJ. Of coarse winning Gold in my division makes it even better!! I started training bjj in Feb 09, I'm hooked!!! NAGA Indiana ......

Sincerely,

Nancy Churches

Nancy Churches

I just wanted to thank everyone involved in the NAGA show for a great weekend. Despite not finishing in the top three, I left hungrier for more jiu-jitsu and satisfied with a great weekend. Your staff, espescially my refereee--a Mr.Sheridan called a great match and went to great lengths to ensure everyone had a fair opportunity at a title. Thanks again and look forward to your next NAGA show.

Brian F.

I just wanted to compliment NAGA on a wonderful event held on Sept. 12, 2009 in Atlanta, GA. This was our first tournament for our 8 yr. old and I wanted to thank you for including the little guys in your events. For the large amount of people attending, NAGA did an excellent job organizing the many matches for a one-day event. We cannot wait to attend the next one!

Tawnda Thomas

Kipp,

I wanted to send you an email to congratulate you on an AMAZING event thispast weekend! Though this was my first tournament, I have attended severalother events in the past year in support of competitors from my gym andhands down, your show was the BEST in all aspects!

The two most visible differences were that you started on time (veryimportant) and your division organization was precise. Other events I haveattended tend to start late due to trying to squeeze as many last minutedollars from late arriving competitors which not only delays the start butis also not respectful of the athletes who are ready to compete only to findout the event is being delayed...I really liked your open weigh in schedulewhich places the burden on the individual athlete to arrive before theirspecific division and not punish the other hundreds of athletes who wereable to arrive on time!

The most common complaint I hear from competitors from my gym is that theywere scheduled to complete on multiple mats (i.e. Master's and Men's) andwould have to choose which one to compete in. You all have taken theapproach of keeping specific weight divisions and ability levels confined toa specific mat and also publish this information for the competitors inadvance. I know this is a straight forward approach (i.e. provide thecompetitor with the tools to succeed, but also place some of theresponsibility back on the competitor to be where they need to be when theyneed to be there), but I am amazed that other organizations have decided to"reinvent the wheel"!

Bottom line: I can't wait to compete in another one of your events,hopefully even travel to broaden my exposure to other athletes now that Ifeel assured that the event will be worth the effort to travel to. I willcontinue you pass along my praise for your event and your superb staff,especially Salvador who provided me with some GREAT post-fight advice onthings I could have done to be more successful, which I greatly appreciated.

Thanks again for making this event a GREAT experience!

LT Jason Deutsch

President Kipp Kollar,Thank you for bringing Grappling to the DC/Metro area it was definitely a breath of fresh air. My Family and i want to especially thank you and all your staff who through their Time, Effort and great Professional attitudes made this event a historical and enjoyable environment.we look foward to the next one!!!!

Richard Crafton & Family

Aloha Kipp! I was an observer at the Hawaii NAGA today and just wanted to pass on my compliment to you and the NAGA staff for coming back to Hawaii and putting on an awesome tournament! It was thrilling to see so many competitors from the all over the state. Mahalo!

NAGA Hawaii

I competed in my first tournament today at the age of 42 (lots of other sports, but new to MMA). I was impressed at how smoothly everything ran and how great everyone was.

Your staff was great, from the time I weighed in to the time I walked out the door. The competition was good and supportive, and I got to test me skills.

Very well done

Makr Cenit

Kipp-I tried to speak to you as we were leaving on Sunday, but other peoplegrabbed you. I just wanted to say again how professional and familyoriented your events are. My sons competed on Sunday and they had ablast. It was my youngests first event and even though he has been at thissport for a year he is still a novice. Your refs enjoyed watching him tryhis hardest and looked out for him in every match. The guy was actuallyapologitic that Graham didn't win.Thank you again for running a quality show. We look forward to the nextevent.

Deana Smith

I wanted to say thank you again for your efforts to be fair. I understand that no one can control everything that happens but sunday was my 7 year olds very first fight at her very first naga and she was wronged and heartbroken by a fighter with much more than 6 months training. I am never one to complain but in this case I felt I had to since my childs love of bjj seemed crushed. I really do not know kipp or understand much about who he is but he immediatly looked into what happened and got to the bottom of it. My daughter was allowed to fight again and her confidence was restored.I do not expect her to always win but on this day I was so glad we had good people around us who took fairness seriously. so if kipp ever sees this I would like to say from one father to another......thank you.

Chris Herbert

"Hi Kipp.....just wanted to say that meeting you on Sunday was pleasure.The attitude and respect you showed and expected of others was wonderful.I'm also glad you kept reminding the "adults" about how important it is to support loses as well as wins. Sunday was my first experience of seeing a tournament and I was hooked. This was my nephews first big match and he still wants to continue this education. Thanks for all you do!!!!!!"

Rhonda Berry

I just wanted to let you know how smooth the team thought you guys ran the tournament. Many of the cadets had commented on that throughout the day. I know you had a million things going on at once, but you guys did a great job of juggling them all. We always look forward to that tournament, because it is one of the biggest and toughest tournaments around. Thanks again for all of your hard work and we look forward to seeing you again in the spring. Take care.

Major James Smith

I was hit by shrapnel in Iraq and told I would never get off of the crutches ever. After a very long therapy battle, I joined Lavallees BB Champions and fell in love with Mixed Marial Arts, especially jiu-jitsu. I haven’t been rolling that long but I work hard. This past weekend I competed in my first NAGA and earned a second place at the Florida Championships. The people who run NAGA are awesome. They care about all of the fightersand are trying really hard to weed out the sandbaggers to make it a fair competition for grapplers. Martial Arts begins and ends with respect. Uso. Hard work pays off.

Ryan Agnew

We compete almost exclusively at NAGA events.﻿ It's my belief NAGA rules, refs and the promoters are the most unbiased, professional, firm but fair events ran. The leaders of the North American Grappling Association are all people of integrity. I have ran my own Grappling based MMA school since 1993, trained Pro and Joes, managed fighters and proudly had many kid and adult NAGA World Champions and Reality Fighting Champions. I have worked as a Grappling / MMA Director for several large companies, am on the Advisory Board for Martial Arts Teachers Association and feel only comfortable endorsing NAGA ran events because I know they will be treated fairly no matter what school they are from or background. If you are new to grappling, a new school owner not sure or thinking of trying a grappling event, NAGA will have a fair division for you if you have trained for 3 months or 3 decades. You know it's a good event if I've been dealing with NAGA from the beginning. I have been honored to be a NAGA Instructor of the Year and yet I am treated no different from anyone else, nor expect any favoritism. These are professional, paid and well trained referees that travel with the events. It doesn't get any better.

Jerry Jones

I would like to thank you for the event hosted on Nov,2009 at FAU.

My son Mauricio Maroto participated in the GI and No-Gi divisions.

Although he did not win 1st/2nd or 3rd.He still won because he gained experience since this was his FIRST time ever competing.

What makes me so proud of my boy is that he told me:

Dad, I want to keep competing...

I look foward to registering him for Feb..

Also, I would like to thank the gentleman (bald / slim / ring announcer).That posed with my Boy to take a picture as we were leaving the facility.

My son is so proud of his (2) medals that he received for competing. He keeps them next to his bed...

Thank you once again.

Larry Maroto

Naga I wanted to write this to tell you how much I enjoyed your event. As a long time grappler of grapplers quest I attended NAGA Vegas for some good competition and got it. While I lost to John Valentine in the NO GI I did win my purple belt division and had fun in both. You stalf helped me calm my nerves while your event pushed my game to new heights and for than I am thankful! I look forward to getting my revenge on the lost to Valentine and to attending my next NAGA event! Will you ever consider belts for other divisions other than advanced? Brad Ishner

Brad Ishner

I would like to express my thanks for making Saturday's tournament very enjoyable. My son competed in the 9yr old beginner no-gi division and he truly is a beginner. I appreciate the effort you put in to making sure the divisions were fair (no sandbagging) and also adding a losing bracket for the kids who wrestled once and lost. My son did not win but it meant a lot that he received a participant medal and each match he wrestled in he got more confident. I can't wait to sign him up for anther one of your tournaments it really encouraaged my son to work hard and get better.

Merry Christmas & God bless.

Jeannette Sandquist

My name is Steve Byce and I started training Ju Jitsu about 1 1/2 years ago at Reding Martial Arts in Denton. I received your letter regarding the complaints about the last tournament at the Will Rogers Stadium. I just want to say that it was my first time to compete at one of the tournaments and I thought it was awesome (Gladiator Style). I look forward to competing in the tournaments to come and I will keep doing my part to help the sport grow.

Steve Byce

We attended the NAGA competition yesterday in Ft. Worth, Texas with our two boys ages 8 and 10. I just wanted to say what a postitive experience it was for them both. The referees were very conscience of saftey and made sure everything was kept very positive for the kids. It was a great a day and an invaluable learning experience.

Christy White

Just wanted to let you guys know I'm 39 years old and competed in my first NAGA here in Fort Worth. Your event was first rate, professional, and a great experience. Placing 3rd wasn't too bad, either. Great respect and sportsmanship was displayed by all competitors. Thanks!

Neil Bertrand

I went to my first naga event today it was very impresive. had a great time, cant wait to go back.

jay uhlich

I just wanted to say thanks for being so helpful in addressing one of my fighter's situations on Saturday. He was the 17yr old who had to fight in the adult division, and lost badly to an experienced wrestler. You were able to arrange another match for him and it was much appreciated as he was able to win and it changed his whole outlook on the tournament. I understand the huge amount of work involved in running such a competition and I'm sure the majority of emails you receive are complaints, so I just wanted to say thanks again for the hard work and let you know that such dedication actually makes a huge difference in some kid's lives.

Timothy Bruce

I come from a Mixed Martial Arts Do-Jo, Jiu-Jitsu is only taught if you desire to learn the art on are own time in between normal training sessions, cardio training, etc. Only the real "Die hards" put in the 7:00 mornings and the late nights after sparring and all that comes in a MMA Do-Jo. After my first Naga last November I placed second in the FeatherWeight division and even though I did not bring home the sword, I brought home soo MUCH more. When I arrived to sign up for my next NAGA this 13 Feb 10, I was told I had to move up a skill level. I have to admit, I was nervous. But then I quickly remembered how Kip and his entire crew run the Tournament.(I loved the No sand bagging shirts). I want to buy one. I competed again, and I am glad they advanced me in skill level. I would much rather take a silver medal in a higher skill level, than a sword in a level I should not be in. Thank you again for a great experience. I have found my holes and will be working ferociously to bring home the Gold on 26 June 10. Uso.
Ryan Atticus Agnew
SGT U.S.A Ret. LaVallees Mixed Martial Arts

Ryan Atticus Agnew

Just wanted to say Thank You for an AWESOME NAGA tournament this past weekend in Newark. Every time I attend, I see the little things NAGA does to improve the experience for the participants, like killer pre-registration Tee Shirts (I'll pre-register for every competition I ever plan on going to from this point out if the tee shirts are like the World Championship ones), the credit card covers, license plate covers, etc. Even the NAGA stickers that were all white last year have colors in them this time around - to the big things like how the tournaments are run - how smooth the transitions are between divisions & classes are -etc. point being that you guys are constantly moving forward, constantly improving and fine tuning on the experience for the competitor & the spectators as well. I really, REALLY appreciate that.

I'm very proud to be a NAGA fighter. I look forward to more great experiences at the tournaments. Thanks again!

Aronicimo Richotti

I would like to say thanks to all you guys yaw made my first NAGA the best day of my life I realy appreciate it yaw gave me a sword for second place but yaw gave it to me because the guy i faced was sandbagging like said man thank you....

Colton Posey

Competed in NAGA Texas today. First time and I must say they really take care of the fighters. I will be competing again soon! Took second in my division.

Gregory

I dont really have a question more of a comment. This past tournament in Ft Worth was the first for my son and I. Everyone was very helpful and made it a great experience. I thought it was well organized and fair. My son and I will definetly return for future events.

Brandon Maynard

Just wanted to let you guys know that my son recently competed in your Va Beach Tournament. I was highly impressed by the way you guys do business.

Your staff was very organized and the tournament went by quickly without delays.

DJ Marasco

I just wanted to let you know how pleased I am with the NAGA no-gi rules.

In fact, I recently drove from Tampa to compete in NAGA Georgia, even though there are plenty of local grappling tournaments. I appreciate that all holds are legal for adult no-gi in all of the skill divisions. As far as I am concerned, NAGA is the only grappling tournament in which I wish to compete. I also found the tournament to be very organized and professionally run. Keep up the good work!

Erica C.

I just wanted to drop a quick note on here to say that NAGA is first class. My son had his first tournament this past weekend and had a great time. What a well run operation. Keep up the good work and we will be seeing you in December.

Greg from Owasso Oklahoma

I just wanted to send some feedback regarding yesterday's New England NAGA tournament in Lincoln RI. This was my first grappling tournament since wrestling in high school in the early to mid 90's. Basically, I can't say enough great things about the competition you put on. Pre-reg was great, the sign-in girl was helpful, and weigh-ins were a breeze. The tournament started on time, and the rules and schedual were easy to follow. Everything seemed to run so smooth. Some teammates of mine commented that the new bracketing system was much better and more efficient than the system that was replaced. The competition was great and I found that every competitor I spoke with was friendly and helpful. I can remember wrestling tournaments that would start at 8am and end a little before midnight. I had four matches yesterday starting around noon and I was out of the facility by 4pm. All around, it was a great experience, and I look forward to competing again in the near future. Thanks very much.

John Soules

First and foremost I would like to thank you folks for putting on a well organized tournament here in Hawaii. This is my daughters 2nd year and she really looks forward to it. This past tournament hats off to our referee in ring #9 who was the referee for the teen girls. He was awesome. He did a wonderful job not only in reffing but for taking charge and reconizing sandbagging. We recently went to the UFC Grapplers Quest tournament in Las Vegas and something similiar happen and nothing was done about it. The sandbagging did not happen in our divison here at the Naga but my daughters division was right after and we were very confident we had the awesome referee for our girls. Again thanks ref for a wonderful job. Aloha Hope to see you back in Hawaii next year.

Louanna

Hello Kipp,

I just had to let you know what an "amazing" time we had at this past weekends tournament in Boca. It was truly an honor to meet you, and thanks for the limbo lesson's Fri. Lol. You have the perfect idea for kids, and I saw firsthand how it made a difference not to leave empty handed. I entered my son for the experience, knowing that he'd be rewarded for the courage to try his best. I was overjoyed, when he took 2nd in no-gi, and 1st in gi :0 talk about "proud papa". Oh, and I took 1st place in both no-gi and gi. I was incredibly nervous Fri. At registration and weigh-in, but your people were very encouraging and kind. Sorry for such a long email, but I just wanted to let you know, you're running an amazing organization. And you're doing an amazing job! See you again in February.

Brett Anderson

My Grandson and I competed in our first NAGA event in September (Southwest Grappling Championships). I was impressed by the professionalism of the staff and how well the tournament was organized. Since then, I have been exposed to the focus on customer service and in particular, would like to thank Joe Cuff for his assistance in helping me expose others to the NAGA experience. We look forward to competing in more NAGA events in 2011. Merry Christmas to you all.

Happy Customer

i competed in my first naga tourney october 16th 2010. twin river casino was a good place to hold it. friendly people and the naga staff are awesome. ill be entering everytime you guys come to RI...THANKS!!!!!!!

Aaron Orellana

this experiance was ultimate .. i want my son to be a famous fighter in his future hes been in 2 yrs and just got his yellow belt , ever since naga nov 21 he has been more into his fighting and he now knows its a very serious sport. the set up was real nice and lots of people, screaming yeling & all. i would take him again when they return to nj or wherever they are, its the school of hardknocks for my baby ;) ... atleat his first time was a 2 place so im happy ...

joe brown

No question just a comment. My son started competing again (after a longbreak) in the No Gi Expert Division 129.9 lbs and below. There were only 3 in this division but the way it was done was much better than the GQ method. Meaning the loser of the first round completes against the person who got the by. If the one who got the by loses it over and he gets third place. If the person who got the by wins he completes against the first winner to decide who gets first.

At Grappler's Quest the person who got the by automatically gets second.This is BS.

Bottom line your referees and competitions are fair and I will recommend your competitions to others who want to compete.

Also your fees are a little cheaper another reason why I will recommend your compettions.

Keep up the good work!

Wayne

During the last 3 years, my son was competing in NASKA karate tournaments; yesterday for the first time he got to compete in a NAGA tournament at Florida Atlantic University. Needless to say that I was overwhelmed by the level of professionalism by ALL members of NAGA, starting by the gentleman who spoke at the beginning explaining the rules and conduct as well as the officials who clearly know the rules of scoring the bouts. I thought I would take the time to write to you and let you know how impressed I was by this event. Not to mention that the level of competitors CLEARLY is above par. There simply are NO push-overs at any level in this league if this is what to be expected of your events.

Adel Suarez

I ordered a NAGA hoodie back in December, you guys called me and said all your merchandise was already in Dallas for the tournament, but you would send me my order from Dallas. You called me today because you found some paperwork from my order. I just want to let you know that I DID receive my order, there were issues and I didn't think I would get it in time for Christmas, but you sent it priority mail and also included a bonus competetor shirt and some stickers. Thank you SO MUCH for your efforts to get it to me in time!! You guys are great and we hope to be able to compete in another tournament soon. It was an awesome experience for my son to compete and I was addicted as well! :) Again, I just want to send a huge THANK YOU to you and your staff for the wonderful job you all do! Have a great day!

Sherri Welchel

I just wanted to say a huge thank you for running such a great tournament in Charlotte. My family and I had an absolute blast. It was extremely well run!! This was my first one ever and first grappling event of any kind ever. I had the time of my life.

The referees were really good. The staff was extremely helpful with all the questions and getting all of us in the right spots. You guys did a tremendous job!

Hopefully I will be competing again in July. I want to get one more tourney in the under six months class. Dads of two, soon to be three dont get all the training the young guys do but I am going to compete hard regardless.

Appreciate you and all you did to make my first tourney a great experience.

Nick Campbell

Mr. Kollar,

Thank you for a tremendous job with the NAGA tournament in Las Vegas -

My 8-year old son Kalani and I had a great time -

The competition was very fair and balanced.

He won a super cool Samurai sword and to top his weekend off, he actually won a stuffed animal from a skill crane.

We have done a couple of local tournaments in Los Angeles but none were as well run and organized as yours

Thanks again

Scott Rusher

I just wanted to say thanks for today. I have been a part of BJJ for over 15 years. My wife has for over 30 years. However this was our first NAGA experience. We came today because we wanted a positive and controlled environment for our son's first tournament. We were very happy with the organization and execution of the tournament.

Josh Simon

I just wanted to let you know that today at Mennen was my sons' second Naga tournament and I am so impressed on how well they are run. Your staff is very friendly and helpful. Thank you for making these Naga tournaments fun for my son.

Nikki Pease

My name is Mike Murphy, my son Holden and I both train under Danny Ives as part of team Lloyd Irvin. I figure you get lots of complaints so I wanted to give some praise. My son competed at Grapplers quest at 150lbs recently.There were 8 kids in the division 3 at 150 the other 5 at 195-202. He competed against a 202 lb kid giving up 50 lbs. I know naga would have split this division up. Then at naga this past weekend he bumped up to intermediate for the first time. The referee at ring 13 remembered Holden from Newark last year. With it being his first time at intermediate he had a tough day. Your ref took time after the match to talk to him and tell him he belonged there and would be fine. This 2 minute of his time did worlds for holdens self esteem. He left feeling good. Kids won't always take feedback from parents or coaches to heart. But for a stranger to do it affected him in a positive way. That's why we enjoy naga so much. Keep it up and thanks! Mike Murphy.

Mike Murphy

I just wanted to commend everyone who is involved with Naga. Everyone was so great with this kids. Ref. Parker....AMAZING!!!! Kipp....AMAZING!!! My boys LOVE coming to these tournaments!!! Thank you for being such a positive force! You guys ROCK!!

Melissa Guy

The 2nd Naga competition for my family was this past weekend in Dallas. HOW AMAZING! The coaches & everyone involved with Naga are so great! While some parents are a little over competitive & harsh on their kids....Naga is STILL great! Kipp, Thank you for taking the time to talk to my kids and take a photo with them. We brought home some swords & HUGE smiles....ready for more action!! Thank you!

MMA Mom DP,TX

My son was a competitor in your last tournament in Wildwood,another Great Event by your Group!!The tournament had made a change and let all experts fight out of the same ring. I think it was a great idea and hope you continue with that line up.I think it safer for sure, the referee knows that these kids would be more advanced. Advanced kids would be able to see fellow teamates that compete in tournament as well. Anyway great job.

Bill Hammel

My 7 year old son just competed in his first event ~ the US Open event held in Boca Raton Florida. I must say I was very impressed at how the event was ran and organized. I was very pleased with how the director of the event emphasized the importance of RESPECT for competitors, staff and parents before the event began and how inappropriate language, comments and behavior had no place in this sport and that anyone that did not follow this expectation would be asked to leave...This event exceeded my expectations and we are looking forward to future events !!!

Aaron Langley

hello to all at naga thank you for how you ran your comp in paris on 5th nov 2011 i was pleased with my son jamie jones who is only 9 years old and only been doing bjj and mma less than 6 months we was pleased with his gold medal and how your team looked after him many thanks from jamie diana and hope you bring it to england

jamie jones

I competed at the NAGA in Gallitan and I enjoyed it very much. I place second in both Gi and No-Gi divisions. I represent the Harris Holt Martial Arts Academy in Clarksville, TN. I was no the only one from HHMA that competed. Keith Michalenko and Kyle Wooten also competed and did well in their divisions. Our coach Lance Boyd came with us and he was given a banner, which is now proudly hanging up at our dojo. Thank you for a great expereince and very nice referees. I look forward to representing HHMA in Memphis and Nashville this year as well!

Jacob Kilburn

First thank you all.
The experience was Great. Will be seeing naga at Disney.

Sifu Davy and the Born Warriors dojang

June 9, 2012 Southhaven, MS Ring 6
My 9-year-old son, Cole, competed this past Saturday in his very first NAGA tournament. Cole is on the autism spectrum and began BJJ as a means to work on anxiety suffered when others enter his personal space. There’s nothing more up-close than grappling!
Cole had attended three prior tournaments as a spectator for his older brother and showed no general interest in what was going on. When he was coaxed into competing I was more than a little worried. His coach asked me, “What do I need to know?” I had nothing for him! I could only tell him to end the match if he felt Cole was in crisis – emotionally.
I spoke to the referee and scorekeeper and explained that Cole may have an extreme emotional reaction to minor incidents on the mat and to end the match at their discretion. Cole’s first opponent was able to quickly overpower him and had him in a choke. Cole began to cry a little when he realized he could not free himself. The referee quickly ended the match before his anxiety escalated and asked if I would like for them to find someone easier for Cole to grapple with again. Believing his answer would be "No", I asked Cole – leaving out the “easier” portion – and he nodded, “Yes.”
Cole rested a few matches while a new opponent was found. He lost this rematch as well but went the full three minutes. He was tearful but smiling when he received that medal! Cole also lost his Gi match and I asked him later if he was sad that he didn’t win a sword – half-tempted to buy him one. He said, “Yeah, but next time maybe I’ll get an easier kid.” All I heard was NEXT TIME! Are you kidding me?! He said NEXT TIME! I think I’ll let him earn the sword.
You may never know how something so normal can feel so exponential! I hope I was able to convey just a small bit of our triumph and success at what may seem “everyday” to you. Thank you for all you do. For us, this NAGA tournament was our best day ever!

G Walker

I have competed in multiple tournaments and NAGA has been the best most organized by far out of all of them. I would recommend NAGA to any of my friends that I train with.

Jake Massey

I was competing at your tournament in France last weekend it was a very Long day, I arrived at 10.30am with my students i was lucky to compete early then waited for my students to fight, We left the venue at 22.45 after my lasts students final match and the ADCC matches had only just begun, I do not know exactly when this tournament finished but i must say, Your staff especially the referee's did an AMAZING AND PROFESSIONAL JOB, I am a certified IBJJF referee so i know difficult it is to keep your concentration, but to do so for over 11 /12 hours virtually non stop without any break across 3 different rule sets was exceptional, They kept their composure at all times and are a credit to the grappling comunity They all have my gratitude and Respect

Nick

Dear Sir,

I enrolled my seven year old child in this latest NAGA tournament in North Richland Hills Texas. This was our first NAGA tournament and I would like to express my gratitude for your efforts in making it a great experience. Like you stated in your introduction speech, no parent wants to pay the money, take the time and effort to travel to a tournament in order to have a bad experience. I can truly say that I am impressed with what I saw. The referees were professional yet kind, and took safety very seriously. During a novice or beginner match, your referee in Ring 4, when confronted by some angry parents who evidently did not listen to your speech, took the time to patiently explain to them that he stood up the kids because their son had held the other child in mount the entire match up to that point. He further explained the philosophy that you espoused regarding the practice of not allowing one child to mercilessly dominate another child. He gave the dominant child the points, then restarted them standing so that both kids had a good experience. Because of your ref’s patience and communication skills, the parents were not only assuaged, but seemed to agree with the ref.

It is because of the professionalism of the referees, the family atmosphere, rules such as no submissions for the newer kids, consolation matches, and keeping a child from being dominated in one position the entire match, that I would like to commend you and your organization and will wholeheartedly recommend NAGA tournaments to all my fellow parents of Jiu-jitsu kids who wish to compete.

Charles Fernandez

I did my first NAGA tournament in atlanta and recieved third place. it was an experience i will never forget and i am looking forward to competing in future tournaments.

vince thompson

I just wanted to thank you for the manner in which you run your events. Not only are they run very efficiently and professionally, they also demonstrate your love of the sport. My children have competed in two tournaments and have left feeling very good about themselves and the sport.
The kindness and patience you all show to the children gives them a huge amount of self worth, confidence, and an ability to believe that they can achieve! Many thanks!

Erin Pollard

NAGA has been an amazing tournament for all who competed and represented Team Gracie Barra Irvine HQ we would like to gracefully thank " Asics/Team Take Down/Top Rank/MMA no Limits " for being proud sponsors of this years 2013 NAGA Arizona Tour of Champions, although this year was very challenging for our line up of Grapplers we would like to Congratulate our very own Qualifying Champion of Divison 1 Jiu Jitsu 122-132 lbs, " 17 Yorci Manuel Martinez" 122 lbs - Santa Ana - Team Gracie Barra HQ" on behalf of Achieving his Qualifying match and new highly ranked stats. We look forward to competing in NAGA on May 15, 2013 where former Jiu Jitsu State Champion, Yorci Martinez will compete for his First NAGA Championship Title.
Sincerely, Instructor Carlos Royce Jr, Gracie Barra Irvine Ca Head Quarters MMA, Jiu Jistu

Team Gracie Barra Irvine Ca HQ

I competed in NAGA Nashville, at the Gallatin Civic Center, and it was another succesful and organized event. The Harris Holt Martial Arts Academy will cintinue to send competitiors to NAGA, as it is the highest from of grappling competition I have found!k

Jacob Kilburn

My son had his first tournament in Chicago. Although he lost 3 of 4 matches, he was paired up evenually with kids at his level. The ref also waited for one of his matches to start so that his coach could get done with another mat and be there with him. He was nervous being his first tournament, but the way it was ran took the pressure off him a bit. We will be in St. Louis in July and very much looking forward to competing again. Thank you for making it a good experience.

Dave

Great tournament.

Customer

the refs are very careing for my son, even hugged him wen he loss.

jayme

I went to NAGA in Paris a few weeks ago and was signed up to compete in the expert division NoGi, and the brown/black belt division in Gi. The NoGi competition came up first, which is is not really measured in belts, but anyone that has 5 years + in any grappling training (so me as a blue belt would have fitted into this division). Before this tournament, i really wanted to focus on not being lazy, and being aggressive from the guard. It was a remarkable experience. I wrote a blog about it as well, you can find it at: http://odinfightwear.com. Thank you guys!

Kari Gunnarsson

I would like to thank you and everyone at NAGA. I have truly enjoyed each and every competition that I have competed in. I have met many people and made many new friends. You are a great group of people and I am proud to be a part of the NAGA family. Thanks again for everything.

Karlee Smith

I'd like to thank you personably for coming to Arizona and giving a breath
of fresh air to jiu jitsu tournaments. All though we don't understand the
no gi rules for the fact we are used to ibjjf rules. My son Bradley
competed on ring 10. The ref was very knowledgeable of the rules and took
the time find a extra match for Bradley. He took the time to give him a
competitor medal and let him know even the best lose . We will be back!
Thank you!

Sarah

Hello, I want to thank the NAGA people who helped me out, more
specifically, helped my son. Magnus, as well as my other son Gunnar,
initially resistered as intermediate but at weigh-in were put in expert.
This would have been fine except that my 12 year old son Magnus, who tips
the scales at 63 pounds and with almost three years of BJJ under his belt,
was only scheduled for two matches, on GI and one NO GI. That's not so bad
but his opponent, both times, was the same person, an orange belt who was
heavier and who had been training for 8 years. Yikes! My son is very
competitive but this wasn't even a match as the NO-GI ended in about a
minute and the GI ended perhaps in 2 minutes. Magnus could have competed
well against the other, heavier experts as I watched them roll. He was
upset because he and his brother have been eagerly anticipating this and he
was put into a no win situation. Mind you, this was no ones fault but
rather just the circumstances. Also, the other boy, Thomas and his parents
were very kind. Most importanly, I didn't want my sons to get totally
discouraged and not want to come back. Long story short, a couple of people
at NAGA listened to my situation and were kind and thoughtful enough to get
Magnus another match in intermediate. This saved the day for him and I want
to say that NAGA was very good, certainly more so than the local
tournaments. So, a big thanks goes out to whomever that guy (bald guy) was
as well as the person handling the awards. Thanks very much!

Richard

I have had the privilege of working with Kipp, Joe, and some of the other staff of NAGA and Reality Fighting for the past 10 years. I have nothing but the utmost respect for them in their way of operating and coordinating grappling/mma events. Very professional and genuinely nice promoters to compete for and work with. I never had a problem or case of unfair matchmaking when dealing with them whether it be for myself, or another competitor from my camp. 5 stars for NAGA/Reality Fighting staff.

JUSTIN BLASICH

Great day, well run.
Thanks.

Jay Roberts

I wanted to thank you and the rest of the NAGA staff for a brilliant tournament last weekend in Birmingham, UK. There was a consensus amongst participants and spectators alike, that the tournament was very well, organised and adjudicated! Plus all members of staff were extremely helpful and friendly. My guess is that NAGA in UK will continue to grow as a result.

Thanks again!

Nina

I wanted to thank the entire staff at NAGA Philly PA, This was my first time in a tourney and was an awesome experience. Thank you for the opportunity to compete and for having great staff from the front check-in to the Referees and I hope to compete for you again in the future.

Greg Kubeja

Naga is an awesome event....one of the best!I first started around 98 or 99 at Willington college. My Ref was Ken Kronenberg.Well here we are some 16 years later and Naga still is one of the best events on the planet!

Dave Clemmens

Myself, my husband, and my brother in law competed at Naga Vegas this year
and last year. We just wanted to truly thank you from our family to yours.
We have had nothing but wonderful experiences with your competitions! We
have all done ibjjf, nabjjf, and grapplers quest and Naga is by far our
favorite. Especially for me, since I am an masters, heavy weight female,
many competitions I have no opponents, but naga always gives me a match. We
truly appreciate that you care about the fighters and how good of an
experience we have, and give us extra matches and medals. Also, the family
discount is amazing! Thank you so much Naga, we're lifers!